* A Ray of Light in the Black Box of School Choice

This commentary and the primary study on which it is based, if nothing else, disproves the contention that the “randomized control experiment” is far from the only method that can shed light on important considerations in education.It's an example of science at its best--doing its damndest to find replicability in the operations of a phenomenon of interest.

The straightforward investigation of how parents go about “choosing schools” yields information of practical as well as theoretical interest. One study does not open up the black box of “School Choice” or the consequences to students in the choices that are made, but it’s a very welcome start. It alone goes a long way in cutting through the rhetoric and claims that are being made with ever-increasing abandon concerning the benefits of the black box.